Draft report of

Chapter 14 : National Merit Scholarship Scheme
Chapter 15: Need for financial assistance to needy students for pursuing Higher Education.

Chapter 16: Financial requirements.
CHAPTER –1
INTRODUCTION
A little more than half a century has passed since the Government initiated a planned development of higher education in the country with the establishment of University Grants Commission in 1953.
The policy for the development of higher education has been mainly governed by the “National policy on Education” of 1986 (as modified in 1992) and its Program of Action 1992. The 1986 policy and Action Plan of 1992 were based on the two land mark reports namely, the “University Education Commission Report” of 1948-49 (popularly known as Radhakrishnan Commission), and the “Education Commission Report” of 1964-66, (popularly known as Kothari Commission ). These two reports, in fact, laid down the basic framework for the National Policy of 1986 for higher education in the country.
The Radhakrishnan Commission on University Education had set up goals for development of higher education. While articulating these goals, the Commission put it in following words:
“The most important and urgent reform needed in education is to transform it, to endeavour to relate it to the life, needs and aspirations of the people and thereby make it the powerful instrument of social, economic and cultural transformation necessary for the realization of the national goals. For this purpose, education should be developed so as to increase productivity, achieve social and national integration, accelerate the process of modernization and cultivate social, moral and spiritual values.”
The National Policy on Higher Education (1986 ) translated the vision of Radhakrishnan Commission and Kothari Commission in five main goals for higher education, as enumerated below; which include Greater Access, Equal Access (or Equity), Quality and Excellence, Relevance and Value Based Education.

1. 
   Greater Access requires an enhancement in the education institutional capacity to provide opportunities to all who deserve and desire higher education.
   

2. 
   Equity involves fair access to the poor and the socially disadvantaged groups.
   

3. 
   Quality and Excellence involve provision of education by accepted standard so that students receive available knowledge of the highest standard and help them to enhance their human resource capabilities.
   

4. 
   Relevance involves promotion of education so as to develop human resources keeping pace with the changing economic, social and cultural development of the country; and
   

5. 
   Value Based Education involves inculcating basic moral values among the youth.
   

The Action Plan of 1992 included schemes and programs which were directed towards expansion of intake capacity in general, and that of the disadvantaged groups such as the poor, SC, ST, minorities, girls, the physically challenged persons, and those in the educationally backward regions, in particular. Thw Schemes/Programmes were designed to improve the quality through strengthening academic and physical infrastructure, to promote excellence in those institutions which have exhibited potential for excellence, and to develop curriculum to inculcate right values among the youth.

The University Grants Commission came into existence in 1953 and the UGC Act came into force in 1956 with the objective of promotion and coordination of university education and for determination and maintenance of standards of teaching, examination and research in universities. As per its mandate UGC has been taking steps, through various schemes, to promote quality education having regard to the concerns of Access, Equity, Quality, Excellence, Relevance and Value based education.
The Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) established by an Act of Parliament in 1985 promotes Open University and Distance Education System in the country. It has widened the access to higher education by providing opportunities to larger segments of the population by adopting integrated multimedia instructions. The reach of IGNOU has increased substantially by the use of Gyan Darshan, an educational TV channel and Gyan Vani, FM radio Channels.
Significant contributions in the field of higher education have also been made by research councils like the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR), the Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR), the Indian Institute of Advanced Studies (IIAS), the Indian Council of Philosophical Research (ICPR) and the National Council of Rural Institutes (NCRI). These Research Councils, which function outside the university system, promote research and creativity in important areas like social sciences, history, philosophy and interdisciplinary areas.